If you are an avid aggro player and looking for a deck that lets you pull out devastating combos that are extremely simple and require few cards...look no further. Be ready to be the primary target in your group, knowing that if you are left unchecked wins will come easily.
"I have brought raging fires to the heavens and illuminated the depths of the underworld with divine light so that I may loose judgment upon this land. Through me Heaven and Hell have been emptied, and their combined might shall purge this world." -Kaalia of the Vast
About the Deck: Kaalia of the Vast is a noteworthy card to any EDH player, but has been shunned due to her "weakness." What I've tried to do is create a deck that specializes in keeping Kaalia alive at all times so that you can quickly overpower any threats you have. Most people dream of their commander being indestructible, having protection from all colors, and hexproof all at once. I've constructed a deck where it becomes exponentially easier to achieve, happening almost every game. Aggro, Control, Combo, Voltron, and Destruction are all weapons in this deck's arsenal.
This deck has no direct path to which it must follow. Instead, many paths to victory have been implemented that all compliment and combine with one another to create efficiency and power. Most often you will win by simply overwhelming your opponent with raw power very early on, other times you may play defensive with heavy control and then combo to victory. You can change the entire battlefield in a single turn easily with this deck, and rise from nothing but crumbling ash into an immediate threat with ease.
There is no single strategy or card that completely shuts down this deck, because it boasts so many methods of destruction and win conditions that it is nigh impossible to stop.
If one label had to be chosen I would say this is an aggro deck because it almost always has you pressing your foot on the gas, but it is so much more than that. It can play just like a voltron deck, remove permanents just like a control deck, and be ridiculous just like a combo deck. It takes ages to get bored of playing when you have so many different options to choose from when piloting this powerhouse.
How it plays:
I will write a summary of recommended early, middle, and late gameplay consisting of general strategies and ideal cards to play. The most desirable one's will be listed, of course there are many card's with similar effects that can work in place of them, allowing for much more consistency. I'm not going to list every card that you should be playing at that time, just some of the generally more desirable selections.
Early Game:
Your opening hand will depict what type of game your deck has chosen to play this match. If you have a lot of control/removal spells, that means you will be playing defensive until the time for chaos presents itself. If you drew a few ramp spells, then you know that this match is going to be fast paced and edgy. Either way, your entire early game is geared towards setting up a safe environment for Kaalia to step foot upon. Ramp your mana with artifacts and drop as many of the low cost protection creatures as you can while simultaneously dropping as many of the equipment artifacts you have, thus setting up the field for your trump card. Use the cheap spot removal on serious threats if necessary, otherwise stick to the primary plan. Unless you know that it's completely risk free, do not bother declaring any attacks whatsoever.
Mid game, once you're satisfied that your arsenal of protection is well stocked or your opponent has exhausted the majority of their threatening resources to your removal spells, it's time to start taking control. Tutor up a vicious creature (if you haven't drawn one already) and cast Kaalia of the Vast. All of the creatures in this deck have amazing abilities that can turn the tides of a match just by entering the battlefield, so choose one that best suits the circumstances you're under. With one swing, odds are you just completely changed the tempo of the game. You should have Kaalia of the Vast out, immune to all types of targeting and possibly already indestructible with a few choice color protections for good measure.
Mid game all-stars:
Every creature in your deck just became a possible game changer.
Late game is not a common time for this deck, because Kaalia makes all of your would be late game cards playable in mid/early game. If you haven't gained control of the board and are soon to win, then you have probably been stomped out from opponents ganging up on you. It's time to get cheap, and blow everything up. There are many cards in this deck geared towards recovering from complete annihilation quickly, and this lets you gain much advantage over your opponents.
Having Land Tax or Weathered Wayfarer out can generate large advantage on it's own, but especially after having just cast an Armageddon or Cataclysm. Adding Crucible of Worlds and/or Admonition Angel to this combo makes for excellent field control and heavily cripples your opponents, usually so much that they are unable to recover at all.
Combine Crucible of Worlds with cards like Strip Mine to soft lock an opponent and destroy their lands, or you can ensure a fresh land drop every turn by using lands like Marsh Flats. Add an Admonition Angel to this mix, and you just earned some dirty looks from the table.
Use Boseiju, Who Shelters All to cast your really important instants and sorceries like Cataclysm or Promise of Power. Your opponents will grimace at their counterspells that they've been sandbagging while you generate advantage.
Deck weaknesses (that I'm aware of):
Lack of hand smashing. There is no Wheel of Fortune or Duress to keep your opponent from sandbagging. Simply wasn't enough room in the deck to incorporate this feature. Lack of graveyard hate. My sideboard actually has a lot of cards with this in it, I'll post that up too when I stop being lazy. Lack of non-awesomeness. This deck is fun to play and to play against. The combos in the deck aren't usually the type that make the game unfun for the other players, and most are excited to see what you can do next.
If you can point out any more, please do!
Card Choices:
Creatures: Adarkar Valykrie- Excellent protection against your own removal spells like Divine Reckoning and any removal your opponents may have. Admonition Angel- A very capable card in it's own, but it also combo's well with the deck's land destruction/recursion plays. Akroma, Angel of Fury- A straight powerhouse that boasts excellent defenses and amazing art. Easy to pump up for that final little push of damage and can be morphed for faster play. Akroma, Angel of Wrath- Another straight powerhouse with some defenses. Angel of Despair- Excellent removal and combos very well with the many spammable recursion strategies used in the deck. Baneslayer Angel- Easy to cast from hand, has great stats/abilities, and the lifelink can become your savior in a tight pinch. Some defenses. Devoted Caretaker- Amazing early game. Once your opponents realize how your deck is played, they will become more vigilant at destroying not only KotV, but your other permanents as well. For one mana, this card offers a strong line of defense for your permanents. Goblin Welder- Not only can he recurr your own artifacts (which opponents quickly realize are a serious threat in your deck), but he can also hold control over your opponents! Even if they are indestructible, this card has no problems swapping out an opponent's Mindslaver for a mana bauble of some sort. Grand Abolisher- The single card in the deck that leaves a completely safe environment to cast your Kaalia without fear. Hellkite Charger- Use his ability to curb stomp your opponents, and gain overwhelming advantage as Kaalia's ability flood the field. Can be looped into infinite combat phases with ease, a definite win condition in this deck. Imperial Recruiter- A tutor card that can be recurred infinitely for only three mana. Unlocks so many plays in this deck that it's ridiculous. Iona, Shield of Emeria- This card can single handedly shut down an opponent completely. Amazing art and flavor for the deck. Karmic Guide- One of the best creatures in this deck. She combos not only with Kaalia, but with so many other cards that seeing her cast usually ends in a game-changing play. Linvala, Keeper of Silence- Excellent board control for the deck and is easily cast from hand. Rakdos the Defiler- Possibly my favorite card in the deck. He can completely obliterate opponents in a single swing, and declaring second attacks with him is not as penalizing in this deck due to the mass land recursion available. Rune-Scarred Demon- Another ETB effect that becomes priceless when combo'd with. Sets up fantastic plays and boasts solid stats. Stoneforge Mystic- One of the best early game drops not only in this deck, but in it's color in my opinion. Stonehewer Giant- The mid/late game version of the mystic, this card pumps out your equipments like no other. Best equipment tutor in the game. Weathered Wayfarer- Generates good land advantage at any point in the game, compliments many combos very well to overwhelm your opponent. Used to fetch the more important lands you may need. Yosei, the Morning Star- Used to lock down an opponent, he can be combo'd into rendering someone unable to cast anything.
Instants: Enlightened Tutor- Fast and cheap retrieval for any artifact or enchantment. Go for the Throat- One of the best spot removal cards in black. Mortify- Orzhov was done a solid when this was printed. Very cheap and versatile card. Path to Exile- Amazingly cheap removal for an immediate threat. Return to Dust- Artifact/Enchantment removal. Swords to Plowshares- Cheap removal spell Terminate- The best black two mana removal spell, amazing art. Unmake- Permanently eliminate whatever creature threat is in your way. Vampiric Tutor- One of the best tutor cards in the game.
Sorceries: Armageddon- Drop this if the tempo of the game is not in your favor, combo's well with the land recursion strategies. Cataclysm- Usually used just for good measure after Kaalia is cast. Generates stupendous advantage. Demonic Tutor- One of the best tutor cards in the game. Diabolic Tutor- Because I already added all of the cheaper CMC tutors. Divine Reckoning- Usually used just for good measure after Kaalia is cast. Can generate a lot of advantage, and the FB forces opponents to play conservatively until it is removed. Grim Tutor- Because I already added all of the cheaper CMC tutors. Promise of Power- Generates great card advantage. Reanimate- Single best recursion spell in the game. Steelshaper's Gift- Great for fetching a WOMD. Vindicate- The best single target removal spell in the game.
Artifacts: Boros Signet- Mana fixing and ramp. Champion's Helm- One of the best equipments you can equip any commander with. Coalition Relic- Mana fixing and ramp. Coldsteel Heart- Mana fixing and ramp. Crucible of Worlds- Compliments the mass land destruction in the deck oh so well. Darksteel Ingot- Mana fixing and ramp, excellent defenses. Darksteel Plate- Cheapest indestructibility available. Lightning Greaves- Great defense for creatures, and allows instant plays. Mimic Vat- Amazing combo piece, steal opponents creatures for defense or spam your own ETB effects. Orzhov Signet- Mana fixing and ramp. Sensei's Divining Top- Great deck control/draw engine. Shield of Kaldra- Offers Indestructibility and has its own great defense. Sol Ring- The best single mana ramp in the game. Swiftfoot Boots- Upgraded version of greaves. Sword of Feast and Famine- One of the best equipments in the game. Generates card advantage and replenishes mana for stupid combos. Sword of Fire and Ice- Excellent color protection and card advantage.
Sword of Light and Shadow- Excellent color protection and recursion for your creatures.
Enchantments: Aggravated Assault- A flat out game ender in most cases. Best mana dump in the deck for crushing opponents. Land Tax- Amazing early game and fantastic late game after mass land removal. Necropotence- One of the best draw engines in the game. Fear Mindslavers when this is in play. No Mercy- Forces opponents to think twice before attacking you, allows you some time to set up big plays. Phyrexian Arena- Draw engine. Phyrexian Reclamation- Recurrs all of your creatures and combo's well with many cards in the deck. Sneak Attack- One of the best cards in the deck, allows you to cheat in heavy beaters or ETB effects.
Prince Tristan, for providing his experienced insight on this format and KotV decks, he was a lot of help and made me rethink the cards that I knew weren't as effective as I wanted them to be, despite my favoritism.
ISBPathfinder, for making several card suggestions, discussing various possible strategies and combos, and answering many questions I had.
Rayschoot, for introducing me to cards and combos I hadn't seen.
Galspanic, for recommending some now must have cards in my deck and clarifying rulings and queries I had.
Blackjack68, For writing an amazing guide for those new to EDH which I studied before choosing any commanders. It provided so much information about the format and saved many people from a long slew of questions that I had. Also for discussing different strategies with me, recommending cards, and using his deck list to discover more effective/versatile cards I could use in place of some others I was running.
I recommend Blackjack68's guide to all new players, and hope it is as useful to you as it was (and still is) to me. If you would like to see his punisher style KotV deck, click here
That1guy34, for recommending a couple of amazing cards that I immediately added and answering some questions I had.
Sanity's Eclipse, for having several discussions with me across various KotV threads and providing game tested information on various plays I had read about, saving me from having to perform them all myself. His Kaalia deck is a variation of the punisher style, and can be found here.
Thank you all so much for your insight, recommendations, and discussions. Being new to the format, I learned a lot not just about this deck but how EDH plays in a general context, and became a better player from it all.
If you have any questions, or want to know why I do or don't run some cards, feel free! I love discussing new ideas and strategies pertaining to KotV =)
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
IF THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR FIRST EDH/COMMANDER DECK:
Then I highly recommend you read this Beginner's Guide created by Blackjack68. It not only introduces you to the format and explains how it is played, but provides much insight and help for any beginner. I used it myself when I first joined, and still find it to be a valuable resource.
What Not To Do When Building A KotV Deck:
1. Many new Kaalia players (myself included at one point) see KotV and immediately construct a deck list of 30+ of the fattest most expensive demons/angels/dragons they can find. This is a horrible mistake. To those not experienced with the Commander format it might be a good idea, but realistically decks like that are VERY easy to shut down and control. Kaalia is one of the most hated generals at any table right off the bat. People will be watching your plays carefully and be ready to respond as soon as you try to cast her. 2. When constructing your deck list, incorporating methods to keep Kaalia on the battlefield is the most important strategy to build. Whether it be through various types of heavy control, super ramping, exhausting all of your opponents resources, or simply stacking defensive cards, no Kaalia deck can function as efficiently if she never touches the field. Instead of trying to ensure a fatty drop on every attack, make it that whenever a fatty is dropped that it has a huge impact. 3. Make sure that almost every card in your deck has high value even if Kaalia is not on the field and/or is unplayable at the moment. Every Commander deck needs to be able to function without its general, KotV is no exception. Having one or two cards that are generally only going to see play if Kaalia is out is not a big deal, but the vast majority of your deck list needs to be castable and effective if Kaalia is not in play.
Popular Strategies Seen In KotV Decks:
Land Destruction- one of the more common strategies in KotV decks, the primary goal is to generate advantage by constantly destroying your opponents mana sources so that you can cast Kaalia unchecked and push your way to victory.
If you have a KotV deck that carries a heavy land destruction package and would like it to be featured here as an example, please PM me!
Discarding Advantage- Many Kaalia players have a heavy subtheme of discarding incorporated into their decks to whittle down their opponent's hands so that they are unable to respond to Kaalia at all and have to sit and watch her wreck life totals.
If you have a KotV deck that carries a heavy discard package and would like it to be featured here as an example, please PM me!
Punishing- A more conservative approach on KotV, these decks specialize at bleeding and taxing your opponents over time while strongly defending yourself and then finishing them off in one heavy combo. Blackjack68, a fellow KotV player specializes in this strategy, and has graciously provided this explanation:
"The main strategy is to get/keep/bring back into play cards that punish everything players do and damage everyone, while giving yourself a bit of breathing room with some lifegain and holding off the angry mob with defensive measures. Direct damage and life drain can dramatically hasten everyone's demise. Plenty of recursion and a robust removal suite ensure survivability in a game that goes too long, and a couple of combos can steal a win out of nowhere. Beatdown with a hasty Kaalia and whomever she brings along is an alternate but still somewhat effective plan, especially later in the game when everyone is low on life, and you can likely give Kaalia haste."-Blackjack68
For a more in-depth view on this strategy, you can go to the thread based on it created by Blackjack68 by clicking here
Stacking Battle Phases- Another sub-theme that is really popular with KotV is adding several cards that provide additional battle phases. It's a good strategy in any powerhouse deck, but in KotV it allows you to drop multiple creatures for free per turn and do a very heavy (if not fatal) amount of damage to your opponent.
If you have a KotV deck that carries a heavy extra battle phase package and would like it to be featured here as an example, please PM me!
Alternative Subthemes/Combos Available In KotV:
Here are a few small subthemes you can add to a KotV deck to provide some depth to your strategies.
Sunforger- This equipment can easily become a shining star in a KotV deck. If you run a heavy amount of R/W Instants then this card is almost a must have. I personally recommend adding in Stoneforge Mystic, Goblin Welder, and Stonehewer Giant if you want to run Sunforger more effectively.
[CARD]
Worldgorger Dragon[/CARD] infinite loop combo- By combining Worldgorger Dragon with a spammable recursion card or Animate Dead, you can create an infinite loop for ETB effects as a secondary win condition. Destroy every permanent you don't control with Angel of Despair, tutor infinitely with Rune-Scarred Demon, or simply instantly kill everyone with Piranha Marsh.
Fake Outs- Many KotV players use cards like Maze of Ith or Reconnaissance to trigger Kaalia's effect and then remove her from harm's way. These are heavily recommended if your deck runs only a small amount of combat protection for your creatures. You may want to consider adding in a Weathered Wayfarer, Expedition Map, Enlightened Tutor, or Academy Rector to tutor out your fake out cards.
THE KOTV LIBRARY, A LIST OF NOTEWORTHY CARDS TO CREATE THE SKELETON OF YOUR KOTV DECK-
I'm going to make lists consisting of noteworthy cards that you can expect to see/play in a KotV deck. These lists were made only to grasp the basic concept of a Kaalia deck. It is highly recommended that you have a general idea of what type of deck you want to run before selecting any of these cards. Every Kaalia deck should be more complex than simply cheating fat cards onto the battlefield, so decide upon your strategy and subthemes and then choose cards that can compliment them.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
Mortify really isn't too useful. There are few times I am concerned about enchantments, your meta might be different, but I find unmake to be an effective removal. If you want to keep mortify, I would rank unmake above Go for the Throat. (exiling is good).
You seem to be running a much higher count of single target removal instead of sweepers. Is this a personal philosophy of yours, does your meta typically run enough sweepers for you to let someone else handle it?
Eternal Dragon can be some good mana fix, as well as a returning threat. Doesn't do anything special on the board, but he can be constantly there.
If you don't mind going out of the way a bit, zodiac dragon has some self recursion as well. (though exceedingly pricey).
For curiosity's sake, why isn't sneak attack in the deck? I see that you have considered it, but not included it.
Just a heads up. I noticed your note on the typo in the thread name. If you are in the multiplayer commander area you can double click on the name plate off of the actual name itself and you can change it there.
As for some input I will spin you a bit. I havent played Kaalia but I have seen her play a few games. Some ideas:
Oblation I like this as it is removal at instant speed capable of hitting any sort of problematic permanent. It is excellent at removing combo pieces as they combo out or to remove their linchpin card to the deck.
Chaos Warp very similar to Oblation this card works great at answering really scarry things. The problem obviously you might flip an eldrzai or something stupid off of it but I would say 95% of the time what they flip is a hell of a lot better than what you warped off.
Armageddon You can easily seal the deal early on by dropping this the turn after Kaalia. While I wouldn't go all crazy like on the mass LD and I know you have Cataclysm, you might also consider this one. Totally your call though but I have seen Kaalia do amazingly under a mass LD lock.
Signets? Boros Signet, Orzhov Signet, Rakdos Signet Obviously you arent in green so you need to ramp in other means. The signets are great because they come down at 2 mana and fix potentially colorless issues and provide you a turn 3 option for Kaalia.
TYPOS: (the links arent working for these cards)
Twilight's Shepherd
Reaper from the Abyss
Basandra, Battle-Seraph
MEHH Cards Apostle's Blessing I have found these cards to be sort of hit and miss. If someone has a sac effect, a counterspell, or a wrath then these dont work. You might also consider something like Otherworldly Journey or Ghostway as they also work sort of similar. However I have seen these be somewhat ineffective more often than not. Razor Barrier same as above. Identity Crisis my problem is that it doesnt scale all that well into multiplayer. If you drop it on someone in the early game you make yourself out to be that jerk that everyone else might use as a punching bag. It can be good but I like it a bit more in 1v1. Night Dealings I dont like how this takes time to use. It is vulneralbe to removal long before you can activate it to tutor. Oblivion Ring if it gets swept up in an Oblivion Stone your opponents get their cool card back. I dont like it due to that.
You might consider adding more card draw. I didnt notice all that much in here currently. If I were you I would try to add a bit more of it.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
under your combos, you have a few typos. Reaper of the Abyss does not exist. Did you mean Magus of the Abyss?
No, I meant Reaper of the Abyss, the new demon in Innistrad. Yes, I'm aware that he's not legal yet blah blah, its a proxy and I notify everyone beforehand.
Mortify really isn't too useful. There are few times I am concerned about enchantments, your meta might be different, but I find unmake to be an effective removal. If you want to keep mortify, I would rank unmake above Go for the Throat. (exiling is good).
I love mortify, utility is always better than single permanent type kill, and it's still reasonably cheap. I run unmake and GFTT already.
You seem to be running a much higher count of single target removal instead of sweepers. Is this a personal philosophy of yours, does your meta typically run enough sweepers for you to let someone else handle it?
A mix of both. I always get set back significantly when someone sweeps, so I don't see the appeal of doing it myself. I run a cataclysm that I can tutor for and bump with Boseiju for dire circumstances, and it lets me keep my kaalia with her primary equips.
Eternal Dragon can be some good mana fix, as well as a returning threat. Doesn't do anything special on the board, but he can be constantly there.
I already have enough creature recursion from my play testing. He's not bad, but every creature I have has a very valuable role to play, his would be lackluster compared to the rest in my opinion.
For curiosity's sake, why isn't sneak attack in the deck? I see that you have considered it, but not included it.
Because whenever I draw it, my Kaalia is pumping full speed already. People tend to underestimate just how evasive she is in this deck. Once she hits the board, she stays. A permanent permanent. It's undoubtedly a good card that I recommend for any other Kaalia deck, but it's just not needed in this one.
Just a heads up. I noticed your note on the typo in the thread name. If you are in the multiplayer commander area you can double click on the name plate off of the actual name itself and you can change it there.
Thank you so much! That was irking me to the extreme. Will fix as soon as I finish this response =)
As for some input I will spin you a bit. I havent played Kaalia but I have seen her play a few games. Some ideas:
Oblation I like this as it is removal at instant speed capable of hitting any sort of problematic permanent. It is excellent at removing combo pieces as they combo out or to remove their linchpin card to the deck.
I'm a little iffy about the draw 2 on it. It's undoubtedly good, and a 2 draw would be a lot better than a lock combo or instant kill, I'll have to play test it, I actually have this card.
Chaos Warp very similar to Oblation this card works great at answering really scarry things. The problem obviously you might flip an eldrzai or something stupid off of it but I would say 95% of the time what they flip is a hell of a lot better than what you warped off.
What I dont like is that it shuffles it back into the library in a meta where tutors are abundant. I prefer permanent solutions to temporary ones, hence all of my spot removal.
Armageddon You can easily seal the deal early on by dropping this the turn after Kaalia. While I wouldn't go all crazy like on the mass LD and I know you have Cataclysm, you might also consider this one. Totally your call though but I have seen Kaalia do amazingly under a mass LD lock.
I already run Cataclysm, and I LOVE Armageddon but everyone really hates mass LD. I would run it if I wasn't worried about being invited back, mass LD really isn't fun. It is amazing though =)
Signets? Boros Signet, Orzhov Signet, Rakdos Signet Obviously you arent in green so you need to ramp in other means. The signets are great because they come down at 2 mana and fix potentially colorless issues and provide you a turn 3 option for Kaalia.
I've had them in this deck until very recently, my mana curve is actually rather fantastic, I have yet to have a problem generating all three colors by turn three. I really want to put them back in but can't decide what I would take out.
MEHH Cards Apostle's Blessing I have found these cards to be sort of hit and miss. If someone has a sac effect, a counterspell, or a wrath then these dont work. You might also consider something like Otherworldly Journey or Ghostway as they also work sort of similar. However I have seen these be somewhat ineffective more often than not. Razor Barrier same as above.
The thing about Razor Barrier and Apostle's Blessing is that they protect target PERMANENT and not just creature. People see a sword of feast and famine, they want to blow it up. This stops them. They aren't my favorite cards by any means, but it's nice to dump because no one expects it when they try to blow up a Feast and Famine or Swiftfoot Boots.
Identity Crisis my problem is that it doesnt scale all that well into multiplayer. If you drop it on someone in the early game you make yourself out to be that jerk that everyone else might use as a punching bag. It can be good but I like it a bit more in 1v1.
100% Agreed. This deck was actually made for 1v1 initially, but I really fkin love my Sol Ring so I posted it in multi haha. This would be swapped for a mass removal, I just didn't think about it when I posted the list.
Night Dealings I dont like how this takes time to use. It is vulneralbe to removal long before you can activate it to tutor.
It's actually been rather amazing. Most of the time Ill drop an Aegis Angel on it, and then its basically I can pay four mana whenever I want to get a card from my deck to my hand, my creatures swing for 10+ per turn easily.
Oblivion Ring if it gets swept up in an Oblivion Stone your opponents get their cool card back. I dont like it due to that.
Agreed. I've only played it once, so it hasn't had a chance to show it's weakness yet. Thank you for pointing it out, I'll probably replace it soon. =)
You might consider adding more card draw. I didnt notice all that much in here currently. If I were you I would try to add a bit more of it.
Yeah, thanks to your suggestions I have a couple of spaces for some draw. I noted that it was a weakness to this deck in the spoiler I posted. Any recommendations other than Promise of Power and Mind's Eye?
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
Sunhome doesn't give Kaalia two declarations of combat, so it really doesn't work with her. It could theoretically give the fattie she cheats into play double strike and that could be good.
Yes, it does. It allows you to drop two fatties from hand.
Sadly it doesn't. Kaalia has a triggered ability on when she attacks, not when she deals combat damage. This triggers once, when you declare attackers. Sunhome gives double strike, this does not make her attack twice, rather she deals damage in both the First Strike Damage resolution step, as well as the Normal Damage Resolution step.
The order of the combat phase goes: combat phase Beginning of Combat Step Declare Attackers - This is when Kallia Triggers. Declare Blockers First Strike Damage (If a creature has Double Strike or First Strike, otherwise this doesn't happen) - This is where Sunhome has an effect.
- to see more about the two combat damage steps, in the link above click on combat damage, and read through the last point. Normal Damage Cleanup
Having multiple combat phases (via Helkite, or relentless assault) will let you have multiple Declare Attackers phases, which will allow Kaalia to trigger again.
Because whenever I draw it, my Kaalia is pumping full speed already. People tend to underestimate just how evasive she is in this deck. Once she hits the board, she stays. A permanent permanent. It's undoubtedly a good card that I recommend for any other Kaalia deck, but it's just not needed in this one.
Sneak Attack is usually a backup plan. If Kaalia is going full force and its in your hand, you hold it. I realize your gameplan is to make Kaalia prone to 'not die,' but no matter how sculpted your gameplan, sometimes bad things just happen. The Sneak is for those times, when you don't want to pay full price for the big nasty surprises in your hand. It can also be used defensively to throw surprise blockers for R. It can also be used with rule of law as sneaking things out is an ability of the Sneak Attack, and not playing a spell. It can also be used defensively with kaalia as protection, by sneaking out something like lava zombie. (Zombie used by example, there are much better things out there).
It could be simply that your current deck plan has enough protection that Sneak Attack is rarely necessary as a back up, which from your answer seems to be the case for you.
No, I meant Reaper of the Abyss, the new demon in Innistrad. Yes, I'm aware that he's not legal yet blah blah, its a proxy and I notify everyone beforehand.
Ah, spiffy guy. I'd say he's a pretty good inclusion for any kaalia deck. You still need a way to kill your own creature, but thats rather nice. The Magus actually works fairly well too, it seems.
Sadly it doesn't. Kaalia has a triggered ability on when she attacks, not when she deals combat damage. This triggers once, when you declare attackers. Sunhome gives double strike, this does not make her attack twice, rather she deals damage in both the First Strike Damage resolution step, as well as the Normal Damage Resolution step.
The order of the combat phase goes: combat phase Beginning of Combat Step Declare Attackers - This is when Kallia Triggers. Declare Blockers First Strike Damage (If a creature has Double Strike or First Strike, otherwise this doesn't happen) - This is where Sunhome has an effect.
- to see more about the two combat damage steps, in the link above click on combat damage, and read through the last point. Normal Damage Cleanup
Having multiple combat phases (via Helkite, or relentless assault) will let you have multiple Declare Attackers phases, which will allow Kaalia to trigger again.
Sneak Attack is usually a backup plan. If Kaalia is going full force and its in your hand, you hold it. I realize your gameplan is to make Kaalia prone to 'not die,' but no matter how sculpted your gameplan, sometimes bad things just happen. The Sneak is for those times, when you don't want to pay full price for the big nasty surprises in your hand. It can also be used defensively to throw surprise blockers for R. It can also be used with rule of law as sneaking things out is an ability of the Sneak Attack, and not playing a spell. It can also be used defensively with kaalia as protection, by sneaking out something like lava zombie. (Zombie used by example, there are much better things out there).
It could be simply that your current deck plan has enough protection that Sneak Attack is rarely necessary as a back up, which from your answer seems to be the case for you.
Ah, spiffy guy. I'd say he's a pretty good inclusion for any kaalia deck. You still need a way to kill your own creature, but thats rather nice. The Magus actually works fairly well too, it seems.
Thank you for the clarification on double strike, I was misinformed by another Kaalia player. =T He ran a lot of double strike, insisting that because Kaalia stays on the board for such a short time in his deck that he likes to dump doubles with every swing he manages to get off. It sucks, but oh well. I don't like to flood the field with fatties anyways, three is usually enough to maintain control, the rest I usually keep in my hand waiting for times when I really need them.
I like the combo you mentioned with Sneak Attack and Rule of Law, that just made two cards that I've been on the border about adding go way up in value, and they will probably be on the main list once I can make some room.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
You could always try some extra attack phases. My favorite two are as follows and they do trigger Kaalia again each time she is declared attacking:
Savage Beating this thing can seriously wreck people in an agro deck. Everyone sort of counts what they might be taking. Kaalia already does scary things by cheating out extra guys in combat. You can also put 4 times the pressure on them with this. It will also give you a second activation with your commander which is really bad ass.
Seize the Day it can give Kaalia up to 3 attacks in one turn if you want or that nice new scary beater if you want to. Either way it can also be impressive. It is really incredible if you have some vigilant creatures like Akroma, Angel of Wrath who get to pick up on the free extra attack.
As for some other options for card draw:
Necropotence it can be tricky to hit BBB but it is powerful if you can reliably hit it.
Graveborn Muse sort of like an arena on legs. It is more vulnerable to being removed but it can also draw you some good cards if it sticks.
Syphon Mind in a 4 player game this usually draws you 3 cards and you dont even loose life. Your opponents get to discard as well so it is really powerful but only if you normally play 4+ player games.
Do you have a Grand Abolisher? He's a cool guy that will make you worry less on your turn.
Holy %*$#. That card is amazing, and an immediate add-in. This card screams free gateway for Kaalia. I only discovered EDH a little over a week ago, and I think I've spent so much time looking up and familiarizing myself with old cards that I had never seen that I forgot to look at the newest things.
Do you have any recommendations as to what I should remove to make room for this?
I have so much favoritism for all of the cards right now that I can't decide, I'm trying to make room for Armageddon as well.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
Maybe cataclysm, Radkos the defiler (when you get a hang of the deck you can put him back in), Basandra is the most likely choice. Night Dealings for Beseech the queen; not a fan of tutoring a card and revel it before I cast it.
Maybe cataclysm, Radkos the defiler (when you get a hang of the deck you can put him back in), Basandra is the most likely choice. Night Dealings for Beseech the queen; not a fan of tutoring a card and revel it before I cast it.
I have the hang of the deck just fine, I actually have yet to lose with it (although I've only played 3 games so far) so Rakdos is staying. He's already won me a game, and is far too valuable to remove in my opinion. Beseech the Queen...ehhhh. I dislike revealing too, but it is a tutor card. I need to play test more before I can make a call on that.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
I have the hang of the deck just fine, I actually have yet to lose with it (although I've only played 3 games so far) so Rakdos is staying. He's already won me a game, and is far too valuable to remove in my opinion. Beseech the Queen...ehhhh. I dislike revealing too, but it is a tutor card. I need to play test more before I can make a call on that.
That's why I stopped playing with the card there's better stuff. Rakdos I'm still on the fence on.
That's why I stopped playing with the card there's better stuff. Rakdos I'm still on the fence on.
You do realize that if you cheat him in with Kaalia you don't have to sacrifice any permanents for that first attack he makes, right? Otherwise I don't understand how any Kaalia deck would not jump onto this card. Kaalia, Rakdos, and Iona are the all-stars of my deck in my opinion.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
Relentless Assault is pretty good with her. It will let you drop 2 creatures that turn. I know there's a few more cards with this effect as well that are really good.
Gratuitous Violence... I like your decklist by the way, looks fun to play. Been trying to figure out which way to go with my Kaalia and got some good ideas from you.
You do realize that if you cheat him in with Kaalia you don't have to sacrifice any permanents for that first attack he makes, right? Otherwise I don't understand how any Kaalia deck would not jump onto this card. Kaalia, Rakdos, and Iona are the all-stars of my deck in my opinion.
My argument against Rakdos is that unless you're running heavy, heavy sacrifice and reanimation or bounce (which is pretty much what, maybe five cards in these colors?), he'll get in one attack and just sit there as a blocker. Yes I understand that one attack will be brutal, but what if the opponent messes with your combat? Fogs, w/e. I would kinda rather run a creature that's "weaker" but useful more often, rather than such a coin flip. At least in Kaalia.
And Iona, for me, would be a Spike move that may get my deck softbanned or something of the like. But that's just me and my playgroup.
My argument against Rakdos is that unless you're running heavy, heavy sacrifice and reanimation or bounce (which is pretty much what, maybe five cards in these colors?), he'll get in one attack and just sit there as a blocker. Yes I understand that one attack will be brutal, but what if the opponent messes with your combat? Fogs, w/e. I would kinda rather run a creature that's "weaker" but useful more often, rather than such a coin flip. At least in Kaalia.
And Iona, for me, would be a Spike move that may get my deck softbanned or something of the like. But that's just me and my playgroup.
Well that's where cards like Basandra, Battle Seraph and Grand Abolisher really shine. Odds are good that Grand Abolisher will already be out, he is one of the top tutored cards in my deck as he allows Kaalia to enter and pick up her equipment without fear of being countered/tucked/bounced/destroyed.
If your playgroup soft bans Iona, then that's on them. Unless you're running a mono colored deck, she isn't that outrageous of a card. She is undoubtedly good, possibly amazing, but not ban worthy in my opinion.
I actually have a question for everyone:
If I have Eight-and-a-Half-Tails out with Iona, Shield of Emeria, then declared white as the banned color and turned target spell that opponent was casting white, would Iona's effect immediately counter the spell or? Can anyone provide some information?
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
I actually have a question for everyone:
If I have Eight-and-a-Half-Tails out with Iona, Shield of Emeria, then declared white as the banned color and turned target spell that opponent was casting white, would Iona's effect immediately counter the spell or? Can anyone provide some information?
It would not be countered. Iona says they "can't cast" white. They already cast it and it wasn't white, it's just been changed to white once it's on the stack.
It would not be countered. Iona says they "can't cast" white. They already cast it and it wasn't white, it's just been changed to white once it's on the stack.
I thought so, I knew it was a long shot at best. Oh well =)
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
Imagine sneaking an Angel of Despair onto the battlefield, vindicating one of their perms, then imprinting it on the Vat.
You can then return it to your hand with the Reclamation, letting it come back for round two, while still having a loaded Vat on your side.
These cards have great synergy together, but also aren't bad on their own.
Mimic Vat exiles that card that is imprinted on it, so Phyrexian Reclamation wouldn't work. I'll have to test out the Sneak Attack/Mimic Vat combo though, it's quite powerful even being unable to reclaim target ETB creature.
Thank you for the suggestion =)
A request for all:
I currently need to make room for better combos in this deck. I am looking to add Armageddon, Mimic Vat, and Sneak Attack. What are your recommendations for cards I should remove? I hold such favoritism towards all of the cards currently on my list that I cannot make a decision. I find myself repeatedly glancing at Aegis Angel, but even then I'm unsure. I also feel I could do without Apostle's Blessing and Razor Barrier, but they are the only protection I have for defending my artifacts so once again I can't decide. Second opinions are much appreciated.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
If you happen to be referring to me, I should perhaps clarify that I was at the time talking of Rakdos the Defiler, and not Kaalia.
If you're not referring to me, then sorry, but I thought it was important to point it out.
No, I wasn't, don't worry. =) I'm not sure who it was, but when I looked at his deck list he had 10+ cards that granted his creature(s) Double Strike, when I asked why he gave me the bad information. =P
I LOVE Savage Beating, I actually just played it for the first time today, I had two extra spaces on cockatrice because the Innistrad cards I run arent loaded yet. It's a great finisher indeed! =) As for the others, I don't want to put any more doubling effects in than I already have. I am going to include Aggravated Assault soon, and I already have Hellkite Charger. I can combo both of those with Sword of Feast and Famine (which I tutor up frequently) and infinite loop my way to victory.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
Now, as far as your combo issue... Have you considered Worldgorger Dragon? He infinite combo'es with Animate Dead giving you potentially infinite mana. My own deck comboes out with him often due to Angel of Despair or, as Gaka taught us, Piranha Marsh.
I believe I may be confusing myself as to how the mechanics of this combo work. When Worldgorger Dragon exiles Animate Dead, he dies, then when Animate Dead comes back into play does Worldgorger Dragon Accompany it, thus creating the loop?
I would remove all three of those from the deck, personally. While making room, I'd also be removing Eight and a half tails, mother of runes, devoted caretaker, Basandra, Admonition Angel and Steel Hellkite. I would personally not play Reya Dawnbringer either - because my philosophy is to not run any demon, angel or dragon that I can not hardcast with ease and still be pleased. I make an exception for Rakdos, The Defiler.
You've given me quite a lot to think about, I actually lost my most recent match because I spent the entire time between staring at his General (I dont remember the name, it was UBG and had mind control on tap) and staring at Reya in my hand since match start, wishing she was something more useful.
"Common sense is not as common as one would believe."
"These kids today with their collector numbers and their newfangled tap symbol. Twenty Black Lotuses and twenty Plague Rats. Now that's real Magic."-Old Fogey
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About the Deck:
Kaalia of the Vast is a noteworthy card to any EDH player, but has been shunned due to her "weakness." What I've tried to do is create a deck that specializes in keeping Kaalia alive at all times so that you can quickly overpower any threats you have. Most people dream of their commander being indestructible, having protection from all colors, and hexproof all at once. I've constructed a deck where it becomes exponentially easier to achieve, happening almost every game. Aggro, Control, Combo, Voltron, and Destruction are all weapons in this deck's arsenal.
This deck has no direct path to which it must follow. Instead, many paths to victory have been implemented that all compliment and combine with one another to create efficiency and power. Most often you will win by simply overwhelming your opponent with raw power very early on, other times you may play defensive with heavy control and then combo to victory. You can change the entire battlefield in a single turn easily with this deck, and rise from nothing but crumbling ash into an immediate threat with ease.
There is no single strategy or card that completely shuts down this deck, because it boasts so many methods of destruction and win conditions that it is nigh impossible to stop.
If one label had to be chosen I would say this is an aggro deck because it almost always has you pressing your foot on the gas, but it is so much more than that. It can play just like a voltron deck, remove permanents just like a control deck, and be ridiculous just like a combo deck. It takes ages to get bored of playing when you have so many different options to choose from when piloting this powerhouse.
I will write a summary of recommended early, middle, and late gameplay consisting of general strategies and ideal cards to play. The most desirable one's will be listed, of course there are many card's with similar effects that can work in place of them, allowing for much more consistency. I'm not going to list every card that you should be playing at that time, just some of the generally more desirable selections.
Early Game:
Early game all-stars:
Protection:
Removal:
Ramp:
Mid Game:
Mid game all-stars:
Every creature in your deck just became a possible game changer.
Removal Spells:
Protection:
Card Draw:
Recursion:
Gaining Advantage:
Late Game:
Late Game All-Stars:
Destruction:
Recovery/Advantage:
See the combos section for additional tricks up this deck's sleeves.
1 Kaalia of the Vast
Creatures: 20
Protection:
1 Adarkar Valkyrie
1 Devoted Caretaker
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Goblin Welder
1 Admonition Angel
1 Angel of Despair
1 Rakdos the Defiler
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Imperial Recruiter
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Stonehewer Giant
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Karmic Guide
Instants: 9
Removal:
1 Go for the Throat
1 Mortify
1 Path to Exile
1 Return to Dust
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Terminate
1 Unmake
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
Sorceries: 10
Tutors:
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Grim Tutor
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Cataclysm
1 Divine Reckoning (new card from Innistrad)
1 Vindicate
1 Promise of Power
1 Reanimate
Artifacts: 17
Protection:
1 Champion's Helm
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Shield of Kaldra
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Coalition Relic
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Sol Ring
1 Boros Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Mimic Vat
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Crucible of Worlds
Enchantments: 7
Card Draw:
1 Necropotence
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Aggravated Assault
1 Sneak Attack
1 No Mercy
1 Land Tax
Lands: 36
Mana Lands:
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Blood Crypt
1 Caves of Koilos
1 Command Tower
1 Fetid Heath
1 Godless Shrine
1 Graven Cairns
1 Mountain
4 Plains
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Sulfurous Springs
3 Swamp
1 Vivid Crag
1 Vivid Marsh
1 Vivid Meadow
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 High Market
1 Marsh Flats
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Strip Mine
1 Vesuva
1 Wasteland
Changelog:
09-02-2011- Removed Hoard Smelter Dragon, Beseech the Queen, and Price of Glory. Will be adding in Grand Abolisher, Insidious Dreams, and Divine Reckoning. Windbrisk Heights and Spinerock Knoll were removed because their effects weren't as effective as anticipated, only triggering when board advantage was already had. Added in a Plains and a Mountain in their places to speed the deck up a bit
09-02-2011- Remade the "How this deck works" section.
09-03-2011- HUGE overhaul. Removed Aegis Angel, Deathless Angel, Admonition Angel, Basandra, Battle Seraph, Steel Hellkite, Reaper from the Abyss, Reya Dawnbringer, Mother of Runes, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, Apostle's Blessing, and Razor Barrier.
Added in Land Tax, Phyrexian Reclamation, Imperial Recruiter, Monk Idealist, Aura of Silence, Aggravated Assault, Savage Beating, No Mercy, Sneak Attack, High Market, and Phyrexian Tower.
09-03-2011 Added the Special Thanks spoiler.
09-06-2011 Removed Monk Idealist for Karmic Guide, removed Aura of Silence for Necropotence, and removed Whispersilk Cloak for Weathered Wayfarer
09-06-2011 Removed Orzhov Basilica, Boros Garrison, and Rakdos Carnarium for three basic lands.
09-06-2011 Removed Insidious Dreams to add Crucible of Worlds. Modified lands slightly to add possible combos and versatility.
09-13-2011 Removed Twilight Shepherd and added Reanimate. Removed Cruel Tutor and added Admonition Angel.
Combos/Tips:
Kaalia of the Vast cheats in Rakdos the Defiler, his penalty is avoided and your opponent watches half of his or her permanents vanish.
Sword of Feast and Famine plus Hellkite Charger or Aggravated Assault equals infinite battle phases, and an instant win. Really easy to pull off in this deck.
Mimic Vat equals insane recursion for your ETB effects. Bounce Angel of Despair, Rune-Scarred Demon, Imperial Recruiter, Stoneforge Mystic, or hard lock your opponent down with Yosei, the Morning Star. You can use Sneak Attack to cheat a high CMC creature in and imprint it onto Mimic Vat in a useful combo to gain advantage quickly.
Having Land Tax or Weathered Wayfarer out can generate large advantage on it's own, but especially after having just cast an Armageddon or Cataclysm. Adding Crucible of Worlds and/or Admonition Angel to this combo makes for excellent field control and heavily cripples your opponents, usually so much that they are unable to recover at all.
Combine Crucible of Worlds with cards like Strip Mine to soft lock an opponent and destroy their lands, or you can ensure a fresh land drop every turn by using lands like Marsh Flats. Add an Admonition Angel to this mix, and you just earned some dirty looks from the table.
Use Boseiju, Who Shelters All to cast your really important instants and sorceries like Cataclysm or Promise of Power. Your opponents will grimace at their counterspells that they've been sandbagging while you generate advantage.
Deck weaknesses (that I'm aware of):
Lack of hand smashing. There is no Wheel of Fortune or Duress to keep your opponent from sandbagging. Simply wasn't enough room in the deck to incorporate this feature.
Lack of graveyard hate. My sideboard actually has a lot of cards with this in it, I'll post that up too when I stop being lazy.
Lack of non-awesomeness. This deck is fun to play and to play against. The combos in the deck aren't usually the type that make the game unfun for the other players, and most are excited to see what you can do next.
If you can point out any more, please do!
Card Choices:
Creatures:
Adarkar Valykrie- Excellent protection against your own removal spells like Divine Reckoning and any removal your opponents may have.
Admonition Angel- A very capable card in it's own, but it also combo's well with the deck's land destruction/recursion plays.
Akroma, Angel of Fury- A straight powerhouse that boasts excellent defenses and amazing art. Easy to pump up for that final little push of damage and can be morphed for faster play.
Akroma, Angel of Wrath- Another straight powerhouse with some defenses.
Angel of Despair- Excellent removal and combos very well with the many spammable recursion strategies used in the deck.
Baneslayer Angel- Easy to cast from hand, has great stats/abilities, and the lifelink can become your savior in a tight pinch. Some defenses.
Devoted Caretaker- Amazing early game. Once your opponents realize how your deck is played, they will become more vigilant at destroying not only KotV, but your other permanents as well. For one mana, this card offers a strong line of defense for your permanents.
Goblin Welder- Not only can he recurr your own artifacts (which opponents quickly realize are a serious threat in your deck), but he can also hold control over your opponents! Even if they are indestructible, this card has no problems swapping out an opponent's Mindslaver for a mana bauble of some sort.
Grand Abolisher- The single card in the deck that leaves a completely safe environment to cast your Kaalia without fear.
Hellkite Charger- Use his ability to curb stomp your opponents, and gain overwhelming advantage as Kaalia's ability flood the field. Can be looped into infinite combat phases with ease, a definite win condition in this deck.
Imperial Recruiter- A tutor card that can be recurred infinitely for only three mana. Unlocks so many plays in this deck that it's ridiculous.
Iona, Shield of Emeria- This card can single handedly shut down an opponent completely. Amazing art and flavor for the deck.
Karmic Guide- One of the best creatures in this deck. She combos not only with Kaalia, but with so many other cards that seeing her cast usually ends in a game-changing play.
Linvala, Keeper of Silence- Excellent board control for the deck and is easily cast from hand.
Rakdos the Defiler- Possibly my favorite card in the deck. He can completely obliterate opponents in a single swing, and declaring second attacks with him is not as penalizing in this deck due to the mass land recursion available.
Rune-Scarred Demon- Another ETB effect that becomes priceless when combo'd with. Sets up fantastic plays and boasts solid stats.
Stoneforge Mystic- One of the best early game drops not only in this deck, but in it's color in my opinion.
Stonehewer Giant- The mid/late game version of the mystic, this card pumps out your equipments like no other. Best equipment tutor in the game.
Weathered Wayfarer- Generates good land advantage at any point in the game, compliments many combos very well to overwhelm your opponent. Used to fetch the more important lands you may need.
Yosei, the Morning Star- Used to lock down an opponent, he can be combo'd into rendering someone unable to cast anything.
Instants:
Enlightened Tutor- Fast and cheap retrieval for any artifact or enchantment.
Go for the Throat- One of the best spot removal cards in black.
Mortify- Orzhov was done a solid when this was printed. Very cheap and versatile card.
Path to Exile- Amazingly cheap removal for an immediate threat.
Return to Dust- Artifact/Enchantment removal.
Swords to Plowshares- Cheap removal spell
Terminate- The best black two mana removal spell, amazing art.
Unmake- Permanently eliminate whatever creature threat is in your way.
Vampiric Tutor- One of the best tutor cards in the game.
Sorceries:
Armageddon- Drop this if the tempo of the game is not in your favor, combo's well with the land recursion strategies.
Cataclysm- Usually used just for good measure after Kaalia is cast. Generates stupendous advantage.
Demonic Tutor- One of the best tutor cards in the game.
Diabolic Tutor- Because I already added all of the cheaper CMC tutors.
Divine Reckoning- Usually used just for good measure after Kaalia is cast. Can generate a lot of advantage, and the FB forces opponents to play conservatively until it is removed.
Grim Tutor- Because I already added all of the cheaper CMC tutors.
Promise of Power- Generates great card advantage.
Reanimate- Single best recursion spell in the game.
Steelshaper's Gift- Great for fetching a WOMD.
Vindicate- The best single target removal spell in the game.
Artifacts:
Boros Signet- Mana fixing and ramp.
Champion's Helm- One of the best equipments you can equip any commander with.
Coalition Relic- Mana fixing and ramp.
Coldsteel Heart- Mana fixing and ramp.
Crucible of Worlds- Compliments the mass land destruction in the deck oh so well.
Darksteel Ingot- Mana fixing and ramp, excellent defenses.
Darksteel Plate- Cheapest indestructibility available.
Lightning Greaves- Great defense for creatures, and allows instant plays.
Mimic Vat- Amazing combo piece, steal opponents creatures for defense or spam your own ETB effects.
Orzhov Signet- Mana fixing and ramp.
Sensei's Divining Top- Great deck control/draw engine.
Shield of Kaldra- Offers Indestructibility and has its own great defense.
Sol Ring- The best single mana ramp in the game.
Swiftfoot Boots- Upgraded version of greaves.
Sword of Feast and Famine- One of the best equipments in the game. Generates card advantage and replenishes mana for stupid combos.
Sword of Fire and Ice- Excellent color protection and card advantage.
Sword of Light and Shadow- Excellent color protection and recursion for your creatures.
Enchantments:
Aggravated Assault- A flat out game ender in most cases. Best mana dump in the deck for crushing opponents.
Land Tax- Amazing early game and fantastic late game after mass land removal.
Necropotence- One of the best draw engines in the game. Fear Mindslavers when this is in play.
No Mercy- Forces opponents to think twice before attacking you, allows you some time to set up big plays.
Phyrexian Arena- Draw engine.
Phyrexian Reclamation- Recurrs all of your creatures and combo's well with many cards in the deck.
Sneak Attack- One of the best cards in the deck, allows you to cheat in heavy beaters or ETB effects.
Cards I'm considering:
Rule of Law (once Kaalia hits, you dont need to cast more than once per turn, combos well with sneak attack.)
Deathrender (Kaalia in a sword)
Quicksilver Amulet (easy fat cheater if KotV is out)
Ambitions Cost(more draw power if needed)
Beseech the Queen(three black mana is annoying, and I don't like how it reveals.)
Twilight Shepherd (recursion/combos)
Hoard-Smelter Dragon (massive hate against artifact players)
Price of Glory (blue hatred primarily)
Worldgorger Dragon (infinite loop combo for ETB effects.)
Animate Dead (more recursion/combo piece)
Monk Idealist
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon (alt win con)
Savage Beating
Stuff I've already seen:
Special thanks to:
Prince Tristan, for providing his experienced insight on this format and KotV decks, he was a lot of help and made me rethink the cards that I knew weren't as effective as I wanted them to be, despite my favoritism.
ISBPathfinder, for making several card suggestions, discussing various possible strategies and combos, and answering many questions I had.
Rayschoot, for introducing me to cards and combos I hadn't seen.
Galspanic, for recommending some now must have cards in my deck and clarifying rulings and queries I had.
Blackjack68, For writing an amazing guide for those new to EDH which I studied before choosing any commanders. It provided so much information about the format and saved many people from a long slew of questions that I had. Also for discussing different strategies with me, recommending cards, and using his deck list to discover more effective/versatile cards I could use in place of some others I was running.
I recommend Blackjack68's guide to all new players, and hope it is as useful to you as it was (and still is) to me. If you would like to see his punisher style KotV deck, click here
That1guy34, for recommending a couple of amazing cards that I immediately added and answering some questions I had.
Sanity's Eclipse, for having several discussions with me across various KotV threads and providing game tested information on various plays I had read about, saving me from having to perform them all myself. His Kaalia deck is a variation of the punisher style, and can be found here.
Thank you all so much for your insight, recommendations, and discussions. Being new to the format, I learned a lot not just about this deck but how EDH plays in a general context, and became a better player from it all.
If you have any questions, or want to know why I do or don't run some cards, feel free! I love discussing new ideas and strategies pertaining to KotV =)
WBSorin's ArmyWB
RRRRDWRRR
RGWerewolvesRG
EDH/Commander:
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
What Not To Do When Building A KotV Deck:
2. When constructing your deck list, incorporating methods to keep Kaalia on the battlefield is the most important strategy to build. Whether it be through various types of heavy control, super ramping, exhausting all of your opponents resources, or simply stacking defensive cards, no Kaalia deck can function as efficiently if she never touches the field. Instead of trying to ensure a fatty drop on every attack, make it that whenever a fatty is dropped that it has a huge impact.
3. Make sure that almost every card in your deck has high value even if Kaalia is not on the field and/or is unplayable at the moment. Every Commander deck needs to be able to function without its general, KotV is no exception. Having one or two cards that are generally only going to see play if Kaalia is out is not a big deal, but the vast majority of your deck list needs to be castable and effective if Kaalia is not in play.
Popular Strategies Seen In KotV Decks:
If you have a KotV deck that carries a heavy land destruction package and would like it to be featured here as an example, please PM me!
Discarding Advantage- Many Kaalia players have a heavy subtheme of discarding incorporated into their decks to whittle down their opponent's hands so that they are unable to respond to Kaalia at all and have to sit and watch her wreck life totals.
If you have a KotV deck that carries a heavy discard package and would like it to be featured here as an example, please PM me!
Punishing- A more conservative approach on KotV, these decks specialize at bleeding and taxing your opponents over time while strongly defending yourself and then finishing them off in one heavy combo. Blackjack68, a fellow KotV player specializes in this strategy, and has graciously provided this explanation:
"The main strategy is to get/keep/bring back into play cards that punish everything players do and damage everyone, while giving yourself a bit of breathing room with some lifegain and holding off the angry mob with defensive measures. Direct damage and life drain can dramatically hasten everyone's demise. Plenty of recursion and a robust removal suite ensure survivability in a game that goes too long, and a couple of combos can steal a win out of nowhere. Beatdown with a hasty Kaalia and whomever she brings along is an alternate but still somewhat effective plan, especially later in the game when everyone is low on life, and you can likely give Kaalia haste."-Blackjack68
For a more in-depth view on this strategy, you can go to the thread based on it created by Blackjack68 by clicking here
Stacking Battle Phases- Another sub-theme that is really popular with KotV is adding several cards that provide additional battle phases. It's a good strategy in any powerhouse deck, but in KotV it allows you to drop multiple creatures for free per turn and do a very heavy (if not fatal) amount of damage to your opponent.
If you have a KotV deck that carries a heavy extra battle phase package and would like it to be featured here as an example, please PM me!
Alternative Subthemes/Combos Available In KotV:
Sunforger- This equipment can easily become a shining star in a KotV deck. If you run a heavy amount of R/W Instants then this card is almost a must have. I personally recommend adding in Stoneforge Mystic, Goblin Welder, and Stonehewer Giant if you want to run Sunforger more effectively.
[CARD]
Worldgorger Dragon[/CARD] infinite loop combo- By combining Worldgorger Dragon with a spammable recursion card or Animate Dead, you can create an infinite loop for ETB effects as a secondary win condition. Destroy every permanent you don't control with Angel of Despair, tutor infinitely with Rune-Scarred Demon, or simply instantly kill everyone with Piranha Marsh.
Fake Outs- Many KotV players use cards like Maze of Ith or Reconnaissance to trigger Kaalia's effect and then remove her from harm's way. These are heavily recommended if your deck runs only a small amount of combat protection for your creatures. You may want to consider adding in a Weathered Wayfarer, Expedition Map, Enlightened Tutor, or Academy Rector to tutor out your fake out cards.
Landfall- Many creatures that compliment KotV have powerful Landfall abilities. Combining Crucible of Worlds with fetch lands like Arid Mesa can combo very well with cards like Admonition Angel, Ob Nixilis, the Fallen, Emeria Angel, and many more.
THE KOTV LIBRARY, A LIST OF NOTEWORTHY CARDS TO CREATE THE SKELETON OF YOUR KOTV DECK-
Angelic Forces:
Demonic Horde:
Dragon Vanguard:
Other Cards With KotV Effects:
Cards I recommend playing in every KotV deck:
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
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StaffReaper of the Abyss does not exist. Did you mean Magus of the Abyss?
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion doesn't really combo with Kaalia of the Vast... Hellkite charger does though.
Mortify really isn't too useful. There are few times I am concerned about enchantments, your meta might be different, but I find unmake to be an effective removal. If you want to keep mortify, I would rank unmake above Go for the Throat. (exiling is good).
You seem to be running a much higher count of single target removal instead of sweepers. Is this a personal philosophy of yours, does your meta typically run enough sweepers for you to let someone else handle it?
Eternal Dragon can be some good mana fix, as well as a returning threat. Doesn't do anything special on the board, but he can be constantly there.
If you don't mind going out of the way a bit, zodiac dragon has some self recursion as well. (though exceedingly pricey).
For curiosity's sake, why isn't sneak attack in the deck? I see that you have considered it, but not included it.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
As for some input I will spin you a bit. I havent played Kaalia but I have seen her play a few games. Some ideas:
Oblation I like this as it is removal at instant speed capable of hitting any sort of problematic permanent. It is excellent at removing combo pieces as they combo out or to remove their linchpin card to the deck.
Chaos Warp very similar to Oblation this card works great at answering really scarry things. The problem obviously you might flip an eldrzai or something stupid off of it but I would say 95% of the time what they flip is a hell of a lot better than what you warped off.
Armageddon You can easily seal the deal early on by dropping this the turn after Kaalia. While I wouldn't go all crazy like on the mass LD and I know you have Cataclysm, you might also consider this one. Totally your call though but I have seen Kaalia do amazingly under a mass LD lock.
Signets? Boros Signet, Orzhov Signet, Rakdos Signet Obviously you arent in green so you need to ramp in other means. The signets are great because they come down at 2 mana and fix potentially colorless issues and provide you a turn 3 option for Kaalia.
TYPOS: (the links arent working for these cards)
Twilight's Shepherd
Reaper from the Abyss
Basandra, Battle-Seraph
MEHH Cards
Apostle's Blessing I have found these cards to be sort of hit and miss. If someone has a sac effect, a counterspell, or a wrath then these dont work. You might also consider something like Otherworldly Journey or Ghostway as they also work sort of similar. However I have seen these be somewhat ineffective more often than not.
Razor Barrier same as above.
Identity Crisis my problem is that it doesnt scale all that well into multiplayer. If you drop it on someone in the early game you make yourself out to be that jerk that everyone else might use as a punching bag. It can be good but I like it a bit more in 1v1.
Night Dealings I dont like how this takes time to use. It is vulneralbe to removal long before you can activate it to tutor.
Oblivion Ring if it gets swept up in an Oblivion Stone your opponents get their cool card back. I dont like it due to that.
You might consider adding more card draw. I didnt notice all that much in here currently. If I were you I would try to add a bit more of it.
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No, I meant Reaper of the Abyss, the new demon in Innistrad. Yes, I'm aware that he's not legal yet blah blah, its a proxy and I notify everyone beforehand.
Yes, it does. It allows you to drop two fatties from hand.
I love mortify, utility is always better than single permanent type kill, and it's still reasonably cheap. I run unmake and GFTT already.
A mix of both. I always get set back significantly when someone sweeps, so I don't see the appeal of doing it myself. I run a cataclysm that I can tutor for and bump with Boseiju for dire circumstances, and it lets me keep my kaalia with her primary equips.
I already have enough creature recursion from my play testing. He's not bad, but every creature I have has a very valuable role to play, his would be lackluster compared to the rest in my opinion.
Not paying $150 for a card that I have the same opinion of as mentioned above.
Because whenever I draw it, my Kaalia is pumping full speed already. People tend to underestimate just how evasive she is in this deck. Once she hits the board, she stays. A permanent permanent. It's undoubtedly a good card that I recommend for any other Kaalia deck, but it's just not needed in this one.
Thank you so much! That was irking me to the extreme. Will fix as soon as I finish this response =)
I'm a little iffy about the draw 2 on it. It's undoubtedly good, and a 2 draw would be a lot better than a lock combo or instant kill, I'll have to play test it, I actually have this card.
What I dont like is that it shuffles it back into the library in a meta where tutors are abundant. I prefer permanent solutions to temporary ones, hence all of my spot removal.
I already run Cataclysm, and I LOVE Armageddon but everyone really hates mass LD. I would run it if I wasn't worried about being invited back, mass LD really isn't fun. It is amazing though =)
I've had them in this deck until very recently, my mana curve is actually rather fantastic, I have yet to have a problem generating all three colors by turn three. I really want to put them back in but can't decide what I would take out.
The thing about Razor Barrier and Apostle's Blessing is that they protect target PERMANENT and not just creature. People see a sword of feast and famine, they want to blow it up. This stops them. They aren't my favorite cards by any means, but it's nice to dump because no one expects it when they try to blow up a Feast and Famine or Swiftfoot Boots.
100% Agreed. This deck was actually made for 1v1 initially, but I really fkin love my Sol Ring so I posted it in multi haha. This would be swapped for a mass removal, I just didn't think about it when I posted the list.
It's actually been rather amazing. Most of the time Ill drop an Aegis Angel on it, and then its basically I can pay four mana whenever I want to get a card from my deck to my hand, my creatures swing for 10+ per turn easily.
Agreed. I've only played it once, so it hasn't had a chance to show it's weakness yet. Thank you for pointing it out, I'll probably replace it soon. =)
Yeah, thanks to your suggestions I have a couple of spaces for some draw. I noted that it was a weakness to this deck in the spoiler I posted. Any recommendations other than Promise of Power and Mind's Eye?
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
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StaffSadly it doesn't. Kaalia has a triggered ability on when she attacks, not when she deals combat damage. This triggers once, when you declare attackers. Sunhome gives double strike, this does not make her attack twice, rather she deals damage in both the First Strike Damage resolution step, as well as the Normal Damage Resolution step.
The order of the combat phase goes: combat phase
Beginning of Combat Step
Declare Attackers - This is when Kallia Triggers.
Declare Blockers
First Strike Damage (If a creature has Double Strike or First Strike, otherwise this doesn't happen) - This is where Sunhome has an effect.
- to see more about the two combat damage steps, in the link above click on combat damage, and read through the last point.
Normal Damage
Cleanup
Having multiple combat phases (via Helkite, or relentless assault) will let you have multiple Declare Attackers phases, which will allow Kaalia to trigger again.
Sneak Attack is usually a backup plan. If Kaalia is going full force and its in your hand, you hold it. I realize your gameplan is to make Kaalia prone to 'not die,' but no matter how sculpted your gameplan, sometimes bad things just happen. The Sneak is for those times, when you don't want to pay full price for the big nasty surprises in your hand. It can also be used defensively to throw surprise blockers for R. It can also be used with rule of law as sneaking things out is an ability of the Sneak Attack, and not playing a spell. It can also be used defensively with kaalia as protection, by sneaking out something like lava zombie. (Zombie used by example, there are much better things out there).
It could be simply that your current deck plan has enough protection that Sneak Attack is rarely necessary as a back up, which from your answer seems to be the case for you.
Ah, spiffy guy. I'd say he's a pretty good inclusion for any kaalia deck. You still need a way to kill your own creature, but thats rather nice. The Magus actually works fairly well too, it seems.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
Thank you for the clarification on double strike, I was misinformed by another Kaalia player. =T He ran a lot of double strike, insisting that because Kaalia stays on the board for such a short time in his deck that he likes to dump doubles with every swing he manages to get off. It sucks, but oh well. I don't like to flood the field with fatties anyways, three is usually enough to maintain control, the rest I usually keep in my hand waiting for times when I really need them.
I like the combo you mentioned with Sneak Attack and Rule of Law, that just made two cards that I've been on the border about adding go way up in value, and they will probably be on the main list once I can make some room.
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
Savage Beating this thing can seriously wreck people in an agro deck. Everyone sort of counts what they might be taking. Kaalia already does scary things by cheating out extra guys in combat. You can also put 4 times the pressure on them with this. It will also give you a second activation with your commander which is really bad ass.
Seize the Day it can give Kaalia up to 3 attacks in one turn if you want or that nice new scary beater if you want to. Either way it can also be impressive. It is really incredible if you have some vigilant creatures like Akroma, Angel of Wrath who get to pick up on the free extra attack.
As for some other options for card draw:
Necropotence it can be tricky to hit BBB but it is powerful if you can reliably hit it.
Graveborn Muse sort of like an arena on legs. It is more vulnerable to being removed but it can also draw you some good cards if it sticks.
Syphon Mind in a 4 player game this usually draws you 3 cards and you dont even loose life. Your opponents get to discard as well so it is really powerful but only if you normally play 4+ player games.
Ambition's Cost fast and easy draw 3
Ancient Craving functional reprint of Ambitions
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Holy %*$#. That card is amazing, and an immediate add-in. This card screams free gateway for Kaalia. I only discovered EDH a little over a week ago, and I think I've spent so much time looking up and familiarizing myself with old cards that I had never seen that I forgot to look at the newest things.
Do you have any recommendations as to what I should remove to make room for this?
I have so much favoritism for all of the cards right now that I can't decide, I'm trying to make room for Armageddon as well.
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
Here's a link to my list. Any questions, comments or concerns post it there and I will answer them.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=349044&highlight=Kaalia
I have the hang of the deck just fine, I actually have yet to lose with it (although I've only played 3 games so far) so Rakdos is staying. He's already won me a game, and is far too valuable to remove in my opinion. Beseech the Queen...ehhhh. I dislike revealing too, but it is a tutor card. I need to play test more before I can make a call on that.
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
That's why I stopped playing with the card there's better stuff. Rakdos I'm still on the fence on.
You do realize that if you cheat him in with Kaalia you don't have to sacrifice any permanents for that first attack he makes, right? Otherwise I don't understand how any Kaalia deck would not jump onto this card. Kaalia, Rakdos, and Iona are the all-stars of my deck in my opinion.
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BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
I'd love input and advice!
Something about the name Savage Beating... it just sounds sexually scarey... in ways you don't want to experience... lol
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How I know I should build a deck:
My argument against Rakdos is that unless you're running heavy, heavy sacrifice and reanimation or bounce (which is pretty much what, maybe five cards in these colors?), he'll get in one attack and just sit there as a blocker. Yes I understand that one attack will be brutal, but what if the opponent messes with your combat? Fogs, w/e. I would kinda rather run a creature that's "weaker" but useful more often, rather than such a coin flip. At least in Kaalia.
And Iona, for me, would be a Spike move that may get my deck softbanned or something of the like. But that's just me and my playgroup.
--- Meren of Clan Nel Toth --- Jhoira of the Ghitu --- Prime Speaker Zegana ---
--- Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief --- Ghoulcaller Gisa --- Akroma, Angel of Fury --- Titania, Protector of Argoth ---
Well that's where cards like Basandra, Battle Seraph and Grand Abolisher really shine. Odds are good that Grand Abolisher will already be out, he is one of the top tutored cards in my deck as he allows Kaalia to enter and pick up her equipment without fear of being countered/tucked/bounced/destroyed.
If your playgroup soft bans Iona, then that's on them. Unless you're running a mono colored deck, she isn't that outrageous of a card. She is undoubtedly good, possibly amazing, but not ban worthy in my opinion.
I actually have a question for everyone:
If I have Eight-and-a-Half-Tails out with Iona, Shield of Emeria, then declared white as the banned color and turned target spell that opponent was casting white, would Iona's effect immediately counter the spell or? Can anyone provide some information?
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
It would not be countered. Iona says they "can't cast" white. They already cast it and it wasn't white, it's just been changed to white once it's on the stack.
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EDH Math
EDH Decks:
BB Drana: Down with the Sickness
BWR Kaalia Punisher: Heaven's on Fire
I thought so, I knew it was a long shot at best. Oh well =)
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BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
Mimic Vat exiles that card that is imprinted on it, so Phyrexian Reclamation wouldn't work. I'll have to test out the Sneak Attack/Mimic Vat combo though, it's quite powerful even being unable to reclaim target ETB creature.
Thank you for the suggestion =)
A request for all:
I currently need to make room for better combos in this deck. I am looking to add Armageddon, Mimic Vat, and Sneak Attack. What are your recommendations for cards I should remove? I hold such favoritism towards all of the cards currently on my list that I cannot make a decision. I find myself repeatedly glancing at Aegis Angel, but even then I'm unsure. I also feel I could do without Apostle's Blessing and Razor Barrier, but they are the only protection I have for defending my artifacts so once again I can't decide. Second opinions are much appreciated.
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EDH/Commander:
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
No, I wasn't, don't worry. =) I'm not sure who it was, but when I looked at his deck list he had 10+ cards that granted his creature(s) Double Strike, when I asked why he gave me the bad information. =P
I LOVE Savage Beating, I actually just played it for the first time today, I had two extra spaces on cockatrice because the Innistrad cards I run arent loaded yet. It's a great finisher indeed! =) As for the others, I don't want to put any more doubling effects in than I already have. I am going to include Aggravated Assault soon, and I already have Hellkite Charger. I can combo both of those with Sword of Feast and Famine (which I tutor up frequently) and infinite loop my way to victory.
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EDH/Commander:
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)
I believe I may be confusing myself as to how the mechanics of this combo work. When Worldgorger Dragon exiles Animate Dead, he dies, then when Animate Dead comes back into play does Worldgorger Dragon Accompany it, thus creating the loop?
Admonition Angel, Steel Hellkite, Mother of Runes, and possibly Reya Dawnbringer could be let go of, but Devoted Caretaker and Eight-and-a-Half-Tails provide the only protection I have for my valuable game winning artifact equipments. My Kaalia will become a sitting duck if a Return to Dust is cast on her boots/sword and I'm left scrambling.
You've given me quite a lot to think about, I actually lost my most recent match because I spent the entire time between staring at his General (I dont remember the name, it was UBG and had mind control on tap) and staring at Reya in my hand since match start, wishing she was something more useful.
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EDH/Commander:
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR(Multiplayer Competitive Primer and Beginner's Guide)
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR (1v1 Competitive Primer)
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB(1v1 Shotgun Venom)